Students Win Scholarships at Kansas State ECO-Meet Competition

PRATT – The 20th Annual Kansas ECO-Meet State Finals competition was held at the Rock Springs 4-H Center, near Junction City, on Thursday, November 1, 2018. More than $2,500 in scholarship money was awarded to top competitors, who competed in quiz bowl-type games that require knowledge of Kansas plants and animals. The state 2018 meet included four events: a test on Kansas woodland ecosystems; a test on reptiles and amphibians (herpetology); a scavenger hunt, where student teams looked for plants found in the area and prove their identification skills; and an interpretive event – where teams put together informative, yet entertaining, skits to relay their knowledge of animal/plant species to a team of judges and their peers.

Nine regional qualifying competitions – attracting more than 500 students – were held in late September through October to qualify 25 teams for the state finals.

Assistance in putting on the state finals competition came from K-State Extension, Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, Great Plains Nature Center, Dillon Nature Center, Lakewood Discovery Center, Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Southeast Kansas Nature Center, Milford Nature Center, NRCS and Riley County Conservation District, Russell County Conservation District, Wilson State Park, and KDWPT Education Section staff in Pratt. Many other private citizens also volunteered their time, helping make this event a huge success.

For questions, to view all regional and state competition results, and to find out how your school can get involved, visit www.kansasecomeet.org or contact Mike Rader at [email protected] or (620) 672-0708.